


Step On It. (Driving School!AU)

by crapitskizaru



Category: One Piece
Genre: Multi, pain and suffering yet again
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-04
Updated: 2019-09-04
Packaged: 2020-10-06 23:01:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20514923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crapitskizaru/pseuds/crapitskizaru
Summary: You’re desperately trying to learn how to drive, but the instructors at your local driving school happen to be quite…eccentric, doing more harm than good. Will you be able to pass the exams before New Year’s Eve and win the bet with your friend?





	1. Chapter 1

“It’s down.” 

“I know,” you stated calmly, turning the keys in the ignition and getting the engine back on. Due to the hawk stare of your current driving instructor boring into your temple, you were hesitant to as much as glance in his direction so you kept your gaze on the road. 

“If only you knew how to think, you’d be able to do this,” he muttered with annoyance, looking out the window. “How do you want to start the car if it’s on neutral, for God’s sake?” 

“Oh, right.” With a nervous inhale, you tried balancing the pressure on the clutch and gas pedal alternately while putting on the gear. A surge of anxiety washed over your stomach when the engine died again after you released the handbrake, the car starting to roll down the hill. 

“That’s it, I’ll show you how it’s done.” He hit the brake, steadying the car and gesturing that you should switch seats. 

The wave of fresh air filled your lungs when you got out, your hands trembling slightly. Right in front of you, another student was getting his lessons and from the look of things, he was doing just as _well_ as you were. 

“Oh, Jesus!” his instructor looked even more tense than you as he gripped the seatbelt. Through the window, you could spot the buds of sweat glistening on his forehead and you overheard him say with a shaky voice. “Please, Luffy, just touch the brake pedal gently, there’s no need to-” 

Their car swung back and forth when Luffy stepped on the brake with all of his might, the tires screeching loudly, accompanied by the boy’s enthusiastic laughter. He looked as if he was having the time of his life. 

“That’s so fun, Dino-guy!” You heard Luffy chirp, his head suddenly leaning over the dashboard. “What does this button do?” 

You didn’t get a chance to hear Drake’s reply when another instructor you knew by sight came up to you, offering you a nod. 

“How is it going?” he asked, but it was mostly directed to your teacher, whose face suggested things weren’t going well at all. 

“They can’t-” he paused, correcting himself unenthusiastically. “_We _can’t get ahold of some aspects. I was just about to show them how-” 

Your instructor continued to explain the issue, meanwhile you tried to sent the other instructor a silent plead for help with your eyes. You weren’t sure whether he got the message or not, at least until he gave you a slight smirk and looked away. 

“I see,” he interfered after your teacher paused his rant to quickly catch a breath. “Well, I think I’ll be able to help with this. My student had the same problem, not so long ago. He’s practicing curves now.” He gestured towards another car across the maneuvering area. “How does switching students for a while sound to you?” 

You’d never seen your teacher crack even the slightest of smiles in your presence, but now he was grinning so hard, it looked almost painful. He must have realized he wasn’t being very tactful so he tried to relax his face muscles, but the smile was still tugging at his lips. 

“Sure, Law, that should be interesting,” he finally said, sounding as casual as ever. “If only, of course, you’re fine with it, (Name).” 

You nodded vigorously and bit your lip, now being the one trying to suppress a smile. When your previous instructor walked away - with a little spring in his step - Law stopped you when you wanted to get into the passenger’s seat. 

“No, no. I will tell you how to do this, but you have to be the one behind the wheel to learn it properly. Simply showing you the technique won’t do shit,” he said when you were both already inside the car. “Now, first things first. Is your seat properly adjusted? The mirrors, wing and rear-view? Hey, take a deep breath. You’re here to learn, after all,” he added the last part when noticing your shaky hands clenching around the wheel. “Penguin, my student, was also nervous at first. A little yelling, some threats and a sprinkle of physical force, and he’s a great driver now.” 

You shot him a worried glance and he smirked again. “I’m joking. Damn, Doffy-ya must have been real rough with you. Start the car.” 

“He didn’t really-” you took a deep breath, releasing your steel grip on the wheel. “-explain anything to me.” 

“Well, you’ve got me now. Let’s start with the pedals.” 

After your third try, the car started slowly climbing up the hill. And after a half an hour of practicing, Law decided you were ready to hit the road. 

During the whole lesson, the sight of Luffy’s progress with handling the car entertained you to no end, even though you knew you weren’t the one to laugh. He and his instructor were frantically driving around the area, the boy’s ringing laughter reaching the inside of your car through the opened windows. At some point they accelerated so randomly, the car drove straight to the bushes and buried its front in them with a dramatic roar of the engine.

“Should we check on them?” you asked and got out along with Law, toddling towards them. 

“Sorry! Sorry, I didn’t react fast enough,” Drake said, panting slightly while resting his hands on the dashboard. “Luffy, I-” 

Meanwhile, Luffy was wiping a tear away from his cheek. “That was fun! Your face- when you realized…So funny!” 

Drake sent you a terrified glance. Law, on the other hand, seemed as if he was trying to hide his amusement, rubbing his hand along his mouth to hide the rising smirk. 

“Do you want to switch students, Drake-ya?”


	2. Chapter 2

“Please,” the boy begged, leaning over the desk. “_Please_, switch me with another student! I need a new instructor, anyone but him!” 

The secretary didn’t as much as shoot him a glance, her gaze stuck on the computer as she fixed her glasses. “I’m afraid that’s impossible, as for now. We don’t have any-” 

“Please! I’m begging you! I don’t want to-” he lowered his voice to a desperate whisper and frantically looked around. “-I don’t want to get into the car with that-”

“With who, my dear Usopp?” Doffy walked into the office with a smile. He had to bend down to fit into the doorframe. “Our lessons are already scheduled for a month in advance, if I remember correctly. Now, now, let’s go,” he gripped the boy’s arm and started slowly dragging him towards the door. 

“_No!_ I mean...I actually wanted to reschedule everything, I’ve just gotten a terrible allergy to-” 

“I happen to have some pills in the car, they can do _wonders._”

“But! A stomach flu! Oh, it hurts so much-”

Usopp’s yells echoed in the the staircase and slowly died down. You turned towards the secretary with eyes as wide as watermelons. Behind her, a tall man was shuffling around the tiny space, his huge frame knocking over piles of documents with each of his turns - white smoke coming from his cigar was enveloping his whole frame. They both seemed completely unbothered with the situation, as if it took place on a daily basis. 

“Is that the paper you were looking for?” he asked, leaning in from behind her chair. Her cheeks turned slightly pink, but you were the only one able to see it, her voice sounding even and composed. Her pink hair, as if trained to react immediately in such situations, fell gracefully along her shoulders. 

“Yes! Hina content,” she said, not noticing the involuntary blush on her friend’s face. You didn’t want to interfere in their little heaven, but you were already late to the lesson. 

“Excuse me? I just wanted to ask-”

“-if you can change your instructor? I’m sorry, everyone is already scheduled.” 

“I know but, uh, _Mr_. Law offered to teach me instead-” 

“Then it’s not my problem. You can switch however you like, as long as the finances are in order.” 

It seemed as if a huge burden had been lifted from your chest when you finally walked outside, jogging over to your assigned car with a wide smile on your face. The miserable fate of Usopp could have reached you as well, it had been definitely _too_ close. You silently promised yourself you wouldn’t complain about anything ever again. 

Your new instructor - and also a savior - was leaning against the hood, his yellow, crumpled hoodie contrasting with the dark car. Under one arm he clutched a clipboard. 

“Morning,” he smirked lazily. “You surely took your time.” 

“There was a mild...commotion in the office.” 

“Ah, yes. I first heard Usopp-ya before I spotted him. He and his instructor aren’t on the best terms.” 

You got into the car and started adjusting your seat. “Then why did Doffy seem quite happy with their lesson?” 

“Why won’t you ask him yourself?” 

That was enough of an answer, as for your taste. Despite the lack of your previous instructor and his annoyed remarks, your hands were still shaking when you put them on the wheel. 

Law kept on scribbling in the clipboard, throwing you some occasional glances. 

“Um, are you sure I can get on the road already? What if I crash the car?”

He finally put the pen down and focused on you. A faint scent of his cologne reached your side - you couldn’t help but think he smelled really good. 

“Look, I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I need you to trust me,” he sought eye contact to make sure you got the message. “I won’t let anything bad happen to us. Now start the car.” 

Even though you quickly got ahold of the gears and Law’s clear instructions allowed you to pass some intersections, it was still challenging to coordinate all the actions and get the car to glide smoothly through the roads. 

With each turn you held your breath - exhaling with relief once you had passed it without causing any accidents. What clearly distracted you more than the abundance of vehicles on the street and the constant fear of messing up the sequence of certain actions, was the unnatural closeness of the man sitting beside you. Whenever you changed the gears, your arm brushed against his; he tried to discreetly scoop away to the other side, but it was all in vain - the space inside the car was too limited. 

“Right indicator on.” His calm voice was definitely the best cure for your anxiety and nerves. “Now slow down to 20...and second gear. Very good.” 

You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling proudly, making him smirk. “It’s just about following certain patterns. Nothing to be scared of, you’ll get ahold of it in no time.” 

It was a surprise when you suddenly recognized the maneuvering area you were last time on; Law must have used a different route to get there. He grabbed his clipboard and got out of the car, signaling for you to do the same. 

“I wanted to show you where some types of lights are located. It’s also one of the tasks on the- Oh, no,” he muttered the last part quietly, looking over your shoulder with reserved enthusiasm. “I was hoping we would avoid him. I even changed the time of our lessons so we wouldn’t run into each other. He must have rescheduled.” 

You were about to ask, “Who?” but it was no longer needed when you spotted another instructor leaning against the car, not that far away from where you parked. He stood out from his surroundings so significantly, you wondered how it was possible that you hadn’t noticed him sooner. 

“Is he...unpleasant?” you asked Law, and he just raised an eyebrow. His expression suggested he wanted to answer your question differently than he did, but he hid it well. 

“Let’s just say there are worse individuals than Kid.” 

The said individual started walking over when he spotted you and your instructor, not paying a single thought to his student who, now abandoned, was desperately trying to make a perfect turn without crossing any of the designated lines.

Law clutched into his clipboard. “You see, (Name)-ya, I may have forgotten to tell you-” 

He didn’t get a chance to finish when Kid rammed his huge palm into Law’s back, patting it in a seemingly friendly manner. “Long time no see, Trafalgar. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you’ve been avoidin’ me.” 

He then turned to you, almost catching you in the act of staring at his hair. “Are you the one I’ll be teachin’ tomorrow?” 

What was he talking about? Before the silence managed to turn awkward, Law answered in your regard. 

“Precisely,” he muttered blankly. “I hadn’t had the chance to tell you, but due to...personal reasons I’ll be absent tomorrow. Eustass-ya offered his help,” the last sentence Law almost gritted through his teeth but still kept a polite expression. 

There can’t be anyone worse than Doffy, you thought. Just then, Kid looked over his shoulder and yelled in the direction of his student. 

“Doin’ great! Just keep turnin’ that wheel and you’ll make it! And step on that gas, for cryin’ out loud!”

You sent Law a panicked glance. The man just shrugged, starting to casually scribble in his clipboard. 


	3. Chapter 3

You exhaled deeply in the heated inside of the car. Most of the buttons and colorful gauges on the control board were still a bit of a mystery to you - that being the reason you had the textbook open on your lap as you leafed desperately through the pages. It also had something to do with the fact that you had been waiting a rather long time for your instructor who was nowhere to be found.

There was a squirming knot in your belly that reappeared with double force whenever your thoughts got sidetracked, imagining all the tragic accidents that you could be the cause of. With Law and his wits, his calming voice and dependable manner, those exact thoughts seemed to just vanish into the thin air; but with Kid? That man already gave you a scare yesterday, and that was even before he got to be your instructor. 

So much time had passed, you managed to spot most of the student drivers that happened to be struggling with the same issues as you were, wandering in and out of the driving school office. 

You jumped in surprise when someone knocked on the window. 

“Didn’t mean to scare you.” Law’s usual smirk seemed forced. You noticed, not without a bitter taste of reluctance, your heart skipping a beat at the sight of his messy, dark hair and alluring gaze. “Eustass-ya will be driving with you to-”

“I remember,” you gritted out. “I thought you said you’ll be absent today?” 

“I just came to grab some papers and I’m out, but I think I’ll be able to check on you later. Also, (Name)-ya, don’t take things _he _says personally. Oh, and if he ever suggests-” 

“Yeah, yeah, get your skinny ass away from my car, Trafalgar. I hope you two already cleaned up after yourselves,” Kid said, making you grimace at the hidden meaning behind his words. He didn’t seem too bothered about that, pushing Law away and getting into the car - his posture was huge, but he moved with surprising smoothness. “Well? Are we drivin’ or waitin’ to die here? Start that car, kid. What’s that?” 

The last question was asked when Kid noticed the textbook on your lap - which was briskly snatched by him and thrown over the shoulder onto the back seat as he growled. “This ain’t a bookclub.”

Am I really going to drive with that maniac? you thought and took a deep breath, turning the key in the ignition. Already, you noticed your hands starting to shake when you reached up to clench them around the wheel. 

“I think you could practice some turns today. It’s easy,” Law added and you couldn’t help but reciprocate when he sent you a smirk. The last thing you wanted was to be left alone with the redheaded individual while Law was _so _available, or at least seemed to be. 

Apparently, Kid thought otherwise. He furiously rolled the window all the way upwards, cutting Law off. “Enough of that creep. Hit the road.” 

If all of your survival instincts suddenly decided to gather together, they’d be telling you to get out of the car and run. You disregarded the negative thoughts. What could possibly happen? That guy was an instructor, it’s his job to take care of your safety. 

Clinging to that desperate conviction, you slowly rolled the car out in the direction of a curve. Before you entered the main street, in your side-view mirror there was Law, talking with the ridiculously tall man you already knew was trying to teach Luffy how to handle a car. Drake seemed like a good instructor, but he didn’t always land himself very fortunately when it came to students. 

“Oi,” Kid disturbed your train of thoughts. “Eyes on the road, sweetheart. You’ll check that skinny ass out later.”

The heat in the car suddenly started to feel more intense. The vibes, however, were different than the ones Doffy gave out - his were annoyed and aggressive, whereas with Kid your worries were directed more towards how unpredictable and bold he was able to get. 

“He’s my instructor,” you mumbled, trying to keep the redness out of your cheeks, but it only seemed to gain in strength. 

“Pft, so what? He won’t be teachin’ you forever, will he?” 

Kid’s words rung in your ears, making them tint as well. Wriggling in the seat, you tried to focus on driving. Without Law’s clear instructions, it was challenging to keep up with all of the sequences before each turn, crossing and in traffic jam.

“So,” Kid sighed, stretching and sprawling his long limbs all over the place when you got stuck on a red light. “Why are you here?” 

“What do you mean? I want to get a driver’s license.” Your lips pressed into a thin line as you slowly got the car going, but it kept swinging back and forth. 

“Yeah, but why? Most peeps change schools after the first lesson. Why didn’t you? And release the clutch slower next time, add more gas.” 

You nodded with a deep inhale, keeping your eyes on the road. “I made a bet with a friend. I have to get that license before New Year’s Eve. He’s also a student here and wants me to get through the same school.”

“Who is he? And what if you lose?” He smirked mischievously, as if the perspective of you losing the bet was giving him some sort of satisfaction. A grimace bent his face when a rusty car drove past you. “Are you gonna let that jerk pass you? C’mon, step on that gas.” 

“50 is the speed limit here. And I’ll have to get whatever tattoo design Ace comes up with.” 

“_Ace_?” If your instructor had been drinking water, he’d have spit it out dramatically all over the place. Thankfully, he wasn’t, so he limited his reaction to a pitiful snort. “That dumbass? He can barely hold the wheel for more than half an hour before he hits the hay while the car is on full speed.” Kid snarled and looked out of the window. “That’s dumb. You don’t always manage to get the license fast and on the first try. Even if you’re a good driver.”

That’s the challenge, you thought but decided to keep quiet. On a roundabout, you took the wrong lane; all the blood suddenly rushed into your brain when Kid jerked the wheel to the right and directed the car the right way. Driving seemed like child’s play when you observed how he handled the car - with such confident manner, it was simply admirable. 

“When you wanna turn back on a roundabout, take the outer lane. Common mistake.” You took his words as a way to say ‘don’t worry about it’ - despite that, your hands started to sweat and tremble even harder than before. 

“Oi, get yourself together,” he mumbled, letting you take the wheel back. “More chill. You ain’t gonna crash while I’m in the car with you, sweetheart.” 

Thankfully, you two managed to make it alive to the maneuvering area; Kid hit the radio at some point and the tunes of _Psycho Circus_ accompanied you when you entered the training place, the whole car vibrating due to how loud he set the radio on. 

“This whole fuckin’ school is a psycho circus,” Kid muttered under his breath, making you giggle. It felt as if a barrier had been lifted from in between you two - this man certainly wasn’t as bad as he posed to be at first. Or so you’d thought, back then.

He sent out careless waves to other instructors when you passed them. Since Law suggested to practice turns, you directed the car towards where the designated lanes were drawn - but, of course, Kid had other ideas. 

“Trafalgar wanted some curves, didn’t he? He’d need some for himself. But a’ight, he’ll get what he wanted. See those white lines on the road? Park there.”

As soon as the engine was turned off, you were able to look around the area. Immediately you spotted the absurd duo entering the place as well, with Drake being the one driving. He surely didn’t trust Luffy to maneuver the car in the public roads properly just yet, smart man. 

They pulled over beside you; Luffy rolled the window down with the usual grin on his face. “_Shi shi shi_, you guys are getting a lift too?” 

“I’m not giving you a lift, Luffy!” Drake barked from behind the boy’s back. “You were supposed to pay attention to the sequences-” 

“This kind of looks like we’re racing, _shi shi!_” 

With how much you wanted to disregard that horrifying idea, you couldn’t help but admit Luffy was right. Your cars were lined up perfectly, with a long, empty track in front. One glance at Kid was enough to guess just _what _he was thinking.

“Oi,” he started, and you already wanted to reply a strong ‘_No_’. “Wanna learn what true drivin’ is about? How about a quick race, Drake? My student against yours.” 

The repeated shaking of your head was left ignored when the instructor got out of the car, standing near enough for you to hear him. Drake looked like the exact reflection of your panicked thoughts when he pressed his lips into a thin line, trying to politely decline. 

“No, thank you. Luffy isn’t skilled enough yet. And it’s just an unnecessary risk too, since-” 

His sentence was abruptly cut off when another car lined up, tires screeching. This time it was a man you hadn’t seen before. His student was also a new sight - the girl looking fierce and just itching to step on that gas pedal with all of her might, her pink hair spreading around her shoulders in a similar fashion to Hina.

“Ah,” Kid smirked with content, greeting the new instructor. “Finally someone normal. What do you say, Shanks? A little race?” 

“Only if I get to race with _you_, after hours,” Shanks casually replied, much to your dread and panic, leaving his student in the car. “Get on it, Bonney!” 

The conversation and agreements in between the instructors were happening just too fast, as for your taste. You were barely able to comprehend the situation, when, all of a sudden, you found Kid spurring you on as if everything was already settled. 

“C’mon, kid! Show them what that skinny bastard taught you!” 

“W-wait,” you stuttered, turning over your shoulder and searching for your only ally in this predicament. Drake was already getting out of his car and jogging over to you, his eyebrows furrowed and expression concerned. 

“(Name), you don’t have to do this. Trafalgar asked me to keep an eye on you, and this is the exact opposite of what you’d consider safe-” 

“Oi, quit rambling! Let them feel those engines!” Kid laughed, quickly joined by Shanks. Those two looked like they were already having fun, whereas you felt like the heavens were calling out to you, pure terror creeping up your spine. What contributed further to this catastrophe of a lesson was another KISS song suddenly tuning in from the radio -_ Shout It Out Loud_ this time, which might have fitted the situation quite well, if only you weren’t busy enough trying to keep your heart inside your chest and not yet gushing out of your throat from nerves. 

Anything could go wrong. What if you lose control of the car? What if something suddenly jumps in front of the hood? What if the brakes stop working? You sent Drake a plead for help and, seeing his worried gaze, you were ready to get out of the car and just go home. 

“You scared or what? I did this a million times already,” Bonney yelled over to you from her seat, her furiously pink lipstick visible from the distance. “I wanna race! C’mon!” 

You took a deep breath. Maybe it would turn out to be good practice, after all. It was almost certain Law wouldn’t approve of this, but he wasn’t here. 

“It’s okay, I can try,” you told Drake, earning yourself a loud cheer from Shanks and a grin from Bonney. 

Luffy’s instructor still wasn’t convinced, however, as he took on a strict tone of a teacher scolding a disobedient child. “Kid, no.” 

“Kid, _yes_,” your instructor mocked and gestured for you to get the car started back on. 


	4. Chapter 4

"You’ll be drivin’ the shit out of those rusty cars in a straight line, then just go back here, where you started.” 

How the fuck did I end up here, you thought to yourself, glancing sideways where Drake looked like he was about to get both a heart attack and a stroke simultaneously - so exactly the same mix of feelings you had, with the slight difference that you were the one sweating in the car and he was standing outside, with one hand placed on Luffy’s shoulder; the boy kept bouncing slightly, surely aching to be the one racing. 

“Just get out of the car, (Name),” Drake sighed, keeping Luffy in place. “I’ll drive you back to the office.” 

His words died out in the roar of an engine - the courtesy of Bonney smacking the gas pedal to the board and taking off in full speed with screeching tires. It acted as a trigger to your tired, petrified brain, causing you to follow in the girl’s steps; it felt insanely satisfying to finally be able to step on the gas full-on. 

The sudden acceleration jerked you backwards onto the seat - somewhere from behind the window Kid’s laughter reached your ears before every sound subdued for you, leaving only the pleasant hum of the engine and the rumbling tune of _Shout It Out Loud_ in the radio. It seemed as if Kid had the whole KISS discography playing in a loop. 

_If you don't feel good every way you could_   
_ Don't sit there broken hearted _   
_ Call all your friends in the neighborhood_   
_ And get the party started_

What will Drake say, once you get back? What will Law say when he hears about this? You gripped the wheel, trying to let go of those questions. Adrenaline mixed with scorching heat started to spread along your whole body when you realized how fast the car was going as you climbed up the gears. 

Not daring to as much as glance in Bonney’s direction, you were able to notice the hood of her car pulling ahead anyway. That definitely wasn’t as worrying as the question whether you get back to the finishing line in one piece - keeping that in mind, you started slowly lifting your foot from the gas pedal as you began to approach the point, marked with a pole, where you were supposed to turn the car around. Meanwhile, Gene Simmons didn’t exactly share any of your concerns. 

_Don't let 'em tell you that there's too much noise_   
_ They're too old to really understand_   
_ Let's get rowdy with the girls and boys_   
_ Time for you to take a stand, yeah, yeah _

Your hand ached to shut down the radio but it felt way too risky to let go of the wheel. Going down one gear, the vehicle swung back and forth from the sudden change in speed. At this point, the suffocating lump in your throat prevented you from breathing properly but you barely registered that; what mattered was to keep reducing the gears to slow down enough for the car to make a turn without a rollover. 

It seemed as if only a split second passed when you last saw the pole and then you were already passing it, taking a right turn while trying to hold your nerves.

The tires screeched louder than you’d have thought they would, but it was mostly muffled by Paul and Gene, the duo shouting at you as if you’d done something to piss them off. 

_Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud!  
Shout it, shout it, shout it out!_

_Come on!_  
_You've got to have a party_  
_Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud_  
_Come on, turn it up louder! _

When you saw the straight path ahead of you, you almost exhaled deeply with relief. The lump in your throat still wasn’t gone, however, keeping you on the edge till the crossing of the finishing line. All the adrenaline in your veins giving you a rush of excitement, not paying attention to where Bonney was anymore. 

You tried to pulse on the brake pedal gently. The frantic beating of your heart suddenly stopped, as if turned off - the car wasn’t slowing down at all. So you stepped on the brake harder, but received no reaction. 

The line where you were supposed to finish kept approaching you stunningly fast, all the cars parked there, instructors and students waiting in anticipation and, at least some of them, in fear. You were even able to make out specific figures - Drake, still standing near Luffy, Kid and Shanks, now connected in some sort of brotherly embrace. Your hands clenched on the wheel harder when you spotted someone else as well; Law was just getting out of his car, looking around the area. 

_Come on, everybody!_   
_ Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud_   
_ Yeah, everybody, shout it now_   
_ Shout it, shout it, shout it out loud_   
_ Oh yeah!_

You drove straight past the finishing line, not being able to hear Kid’s roaring laughter through the noisy duo in the radio and the purring of the engine. The dark line of the forest that surrounded the maneuvering area was getting closer and closer - Law already managed to spot you and in the spur of a moment, you took in his confused expression and furrowed eyebrows as you approached the place where he parked. 

Is this the end? you thought, your hands frozen on the wheel. The sight of Law acted as a calming veil to your petrified brain; such a _strong _veil that you barely registered Law yelling over to you - due to Gene and Paul not stopping in their frenzy for even a second, you read the words from his lips rather than heard them. “_Handbrake!_” 

It hit you like a wall. There was still the handbrake, hopefully working. You estimated the distance you had left before you crash into the edge of the forest - it could be possible to slow down, using the gears. Something told that if you used the handbrake now, you might have as well hit a tree - the outcome would be pretty much the same. 

Trying to keep a clear mind and sharpening your vision was pure torture, your brain practically begging to just let go and get it over with. Gritting your teeth, you changed into the fourth gear and the car swung dangerously. Then the third gear. At this point, the engine was roaring, itching from the sudden change. 

Every tree and every branch was already visible - you could see the pine needles and the mossy trunks. You got to the second gear, making the car jolt, and then you pulled the handbrake all the way up with a sweaty hand. 

The car screeched loudly, this being followed by the unnatural stillness and the ringing silence in your ears - and also the goodbye lines of Paul as he was leaving the scene.

_Whoo! We love you! Good night! _


	5. Chapter 5

The door swung open, almost detaching from its hinges, and the wave of air hit your side - it felt as if you were taking in a breath for the first time in the past few minutes. 

With a stiff neck, you looked up. You’ve never seen Law this disturbed - his face wrinkled in worry and eyes searching your frame for anything that might have been wrong. His one hand was still clenched around the door. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, separating the words, jawbone as taut as ever. “Are you alright, (Name)-ya?” 

You nodded hesitantly and stumbled out of the seat while gripping the wheel for balance. He’s a stranger, the thought passed your brain when you landed in his arms, but it didn’t matter. With how rapidly your heart was beating, it was a surprise it still hadn’t bursted through your chest. 

“L-Law,” you sobbed, pressing into his shoulder. All the adrenaline and the cold calculation that allowed you to slow down in time now disappeared, replaced by pure fear, making your whole body shake. 

His fingers latched into your waist. “You did well. Always remember about the handbrake.” 

A slight nod was all you managed to give out as he slowly sat you back down in the car seat, releasing the grip around you. Just then you realized how close you were and despite the near-death experience you had just had the pleasure of living through, you blushed madly. 

You didn’t want him to go, but judging from the freezing aura around him and the furious sparkle in his eyes, it was better not to stand in his path as he turned towards the direction of the other instructors. 

“Oi!” Kid yelled, approaching. “What was _that _blast? You liked the rush or what? Bonney didn’t even make the turn, rookie mistake-”

“The brake stopped working,” Law spat. “Is that right?” 

“Yes, yes, it didn’t react when I wanted to slow down.” Your voice was still shaky as you wrapped your arms around yourself, trying to calm down. “I forgot about the handbrake.” 

Kid looked like someone just smacked him in the face. When he remained silent for a while, Shanks managed to catch up and pat him on the back. 

“Good race, (Name)! Next time pay more attention to the finishing line, cause-” 

“The brakes stopped working!” Law repeated, barking out. “This is why we don’t encourage students to race, especially when it’s their third lesson.” 

He was trying to keep his cool and a steady tone, but Kid’s reaction would have pushed even a saint to murder. 

“Well, at least you had a good lesson, kid. You’ll remember about the handbrake next time, right?” 

“You were supposed to _teach _them, not put them in grave danger! Is that what ‘practicing turns’ means to you?” 

“Oh, c’mon! As if you’d never raced before, cars are never completely safe-” 

“They would be, if you did your job properly!”

Watching the constantly heating up exchange in between those two, you realized one of the reasons Law was so disturbed. If you crashed into the trees, even not in full speed, there were still a lot of injuries to collect - and it’d all shift to be Law’s fault, since the lesson was scheduled with him, not with Kid. It only made you feel worse. It’s not like Kid _forced _you to race. 

“Now, now, gentlemen.” Shanks cut them off with a calming gesture. “Thankfully nothing bad happened. This was a lesson to all of us-” 

“It didn’t have to be,” Law growled without moving his gaze away from the redhead. “This wasn’t a lesson, just a lucky shot. I can’t believe you’d agreed to this.” 

“Hey! I did you a _favour_, for fuck’s sake. I didn’t have to waste my time with your student, I could have gone home!” 

“Well, why didn’t you? It’d have been for the best.” 

“Fuck you, Trafalgar!” Kid’s face was bent in an angry grimace as he stepped closer to your instructor. “Wanna have a go at me? I’ll snap you in-” 

“Eustass!” It was Shanks turn to join for good, his deep voice putting a stop to Kid’s yelling. _Thankfully_, because your head started to hurt even more from the all the noise and commotion. “If you can’t end this like grown men, there’s always the race track. What’s the other way to solve this than to hit the road, right?” 

You thought that Shanks won with this, putting an end to the discussion. But then, much to your surprise, Law spoke up bitterly. 

“I’ve got no interest in racing with this clown.” 

And so it continued, almost turning into a fist fight between all three of them as they yelled and insulted each other - with Kid playing the main role in the last one, _obviously_.

‘I’m sorry I let this happen.” A soft voice on your right made you jump. There was Drake, the usual pout decorating his face with a tint of guilt. He crouched on the ground beside your seat. “I was supposed to keep an eye on you.” 

Despite the still-present dread in your gut, you managed a weak smile. “I think you’re the last one to be blamed here.” 

He reciprocated your expression, looking down. All the shouting and arguing was still echoing around the area, but now that your attention was directed towards Drake, it felt more distant. 

“Shanks was talking about some sort of a race track,” you started, implying a question and making the man grimace slightly. 

“It’s this kind of...event. For petrol heads like us. Takes place every few months. And there’s a race track for competitions and such. Shanks probably mentioned this to calm those idiots down.” 

“Did you ever race on a professional track?” 

The question seemed to surprise him. “A few times, yes.” 

“Did you win?”

His pout turned into a shy smile as he stood up, ignoring the still arguing trio behind his back. “Let me drive you back. Luffy and Bonney are already waiting in the car.” 


End file.
